Business Strategy Report of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc Essay

Business Strategy Report of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc also known as RBSG is an international company dealing in banking and financial services. The company offers a wide range of products as well as services and serves the commercial, personal along with the large institutional and corporate customers. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc tends to operate through its subsidiary named the royal bank and the National Westminster Bank Plc also referred to as NatWest. Some of the financial services offered by the Bank include commercial banking, investment banking, and services of wealth management. The bank offers the product through its various brands like RBS, Direct Line, NatWest, Churchill, Ulster Bank, Coutts and the Citizens. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) forms it’s headquartered in Edinburgh and serves about 30million customers in Europe, UK, and America, Middle East and also Asia and employees about 130,000 staffs glob ally. Some of the major product and services of RBS includes, credit cards, insurance products, retail issue charge card and service offered by the Bank are foreign exchange finance, money market, deposit and investment, treasury services, electronic services, insurance, loans, development along with other services and information technology operations. The banking and financial sector has encountered unprecedented change and turmoil globally. Failure of some of the renowned financial leader like the Lehman Brothers had focused attention towards interconnected debt. Credit along with interbank liquidity had frozen across the globe and it was since then the government across the globe has been pumping money in order to bail out the failing banks in order to normalize the activities of the financial institution and prevent meltdown down of the global financial system.

BCEN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

BCEN - Assignment Example The markets are dwindling, leaving us almost stranded. With the above in mind, I think it is wise we sell off the chemicals department, to safeguard the hardware depot. A personal valuation of the company puts it at roughly $500,000, which I think would be a good sales price for the business. Please look into this matter and consider taking the best decision. The best way for a company to plan for unpredictable crises is to ensure that there is a crises management tactic put in place to deal with any unexpected occurrence. This may involve having an efficient communication plan. The best strategy to combat an online rumor is to come up with a fast and comprehensive rebuttal. A quick and consistent crisis response plan is essential for a company in responding to crises. Prioritizing stakeholders involves complete mapping to show the manner in which the stakeholders interlink, and the influence they hold on each other (Seeger, Sellnow & Ulmer

The need for humans in the delivery of services in the evolving hospitality industry Essay Example for Free

The need for humans in the delivery of services in the evolving hospitality industry Essay Assignment overview: To write an academic and speech report, encouraging student creativity. Overall aim: The student is to consider how he/she would imagine the evolving role of humans in the service delivery process in the hospitality industry based on historical research, contemporary thinking, and future predictions. Learning outcomes (from the CRS): 1. define the principles and practices of marketing management as related to service management. 2. analyze the nature of services marketing within the hospitality industry. 3. recognize opportunities for research that can be applied in a marketing consulting environment. Organization methodology: Imagine that you are about to give a conference address to a high level audience from the industry. Your address is titled: The need for humans in the delivery of services in the evolving hospitality industry† Consider how you imagine the evolving role of humans in the service delivery process in the hospitality industry based on historical research, contemporary thinking, and future predictions. Your conference speech is to be supported by an academically written paper which will underpin your  actual address. You therefore need to submit (a) an academic paper and (b) a speech (in the appendices). The speech can be written in any style you wish based on the readership, e.g. conference delegates and media. However, it needs to be professionally presented and be coherent with the academic paper. The academic paper needs to: i. include some of the following terms: culture, creativity, destruction, disruption, experiences, industry examples, innovation, key writers, perceived risk, relationships, the service offer, and any relevant theoretical models; ii. have a standardized front cover sheet with the statement of authorship, with page numbers, using 1.5 spacing, with a clear and tidy font style and size; iii. follow Glion academic conventions (e.g. APA referencing, good scholarly writing, etc); iv. be submitted through the Turnitin link on the course site in Moodle, and submitted to Reception between 13h00 and 15h00 both on 30th April 2014. Your academic paper will be graded using the Glion Graduate School Assessment Criteria (overleaf), with 20% for each criterion. Think carefully what the 5 criteria within KASAP will reward! Word count: Paper – 1600 words Speech– 2000 words (in appendices, and also available for conference and media distribution – think of your audience!) Resources available: Library resources as well as any academic article on Moodle, that is relevant to the topic. Add the performance benchmarks with weights for each graduate skill assessed Graduate skill assessed Below standard 70 – 79% 80 – 89% 90 – 100% Weight Knowledge Inadequate facts or concepts collected. Limited in scope and very descriptive in style. Knowledge irrelevant for purpose. Develops and demonstrates a limited depth of knowledge in a complex and specialized area or interdisciplinary area and/ or applied areas where they are working towards current limits of theoretical research or understanding. Develops and demonstrates great depth of knowledge in a complex and specialized area or interdisciplinary area and/ or applied areas where they are working at current limits of theoretical research or understanding. Develops and demonstrates an excellent depth of knowledge in a complex and specialized area or interdisciplinary area and/ or applied areas where they are working at current limits of theoretical research or understanding to challenge contemporary thinking or paradigms. 20% Analysis Data has not been sufficiently well analyzed to draw appropriate conclusions. Argumentation and discussion is very limited or shows a lack of understanding of the evidence collected. Demonstrates limited ability to deal with complexity and scope in the knowledge base where the applications of paradigms, concepts and theory have not been sufficiently developed. Limited selection of tools and techniques for problem solving. Deals with some levels of complexity and applies concepts, theory and paradigms. Clearly recognizes lacunae and/ or contradictions in the knowledge base and makes appropriate selection of tools and techniques for problem solving. Deals with complexity and applies a wide range of concepts and theory where lacunae and/ or contradictions in the knowledge base have been clearly identified and discussed. Makes appropriate selection of tools and innovative techniques for problem solving. 20% Synthesis and Creativity Unable to find, categorize idea and rely information in an acceptable way for  this level. Synthesizes some information/ ideas and creates a more limited redefinition of existing knowledge with limited scope to new situations. Autonomously synthesizes information/ ideas and creates responses that expand or redefine existing knowledge and/ or develop new approaches to new situations. Autonomously synthesizes information/ ideas and creates responses that challenge existing knowledge and/ or develop innovative solutions to new situations. 20% Application Lacks originality in the application of knowledge in professional level context. Applies a very limited range of professional skills and shows no understanding of how the outcomes of work in the area may be applied. Demonstrates some originality in the application of knowledge in professional level context. Applies a limited range of professional skills and shows some understanding of how the outcomes of work in the area may be applied. Demonstrates originality in the application of knowledge in a variety of professional level contexts. Applies a range of professional skills and reflects on current practice. Shows an understanding of how the outcomes of work in the area may be applied, to inform judgments to the development of practice. Demonstrates originality in the application of knowledge in a wide and often unpredictable variety of professional level contexts. Applies a significant range of complex professional skills, practices and techniques and reflects on and subsequently mo dified practice. Shows an understanding of how the outcomes of work in the area may be applied, to inform judgments and make original contributions to the development of practice. 20% Presentation Does not meet a number of key requirements and fails to follow an acceptable style. Often unclear and untidy Organized and coherently structured work. Presents ideas to facilitate comprehension in an orderly manner with acceptable referencing and minor errors of detail. Work coherently and comprehensively organized and structured. Presents ideas with considerable attention to detail which facilitates effortless comprehension in an orderly  manner and accurate referencing. Presented work with exceptional clarity that demonstrates ability to attend to all detailed aspects of organization and structure of discussion and all supporting evidence. The work has the qualities consistent with published material. 20% Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of presenting another’s ideas or words as one’s own. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the intentional falsification or fabrication of any academic activity, unauthorized copying of another person’s work, or aiding and abetting any such acts. Particular care must be taken when presenting information that has been obtained from an internet site. Should this information not be correctly referenced then you are guilty of plagiarism and will be penalized accordingly. Statement of authorship Following the title page of your assignment there should be a page on which you sign a statement that the work included in the assignment is your own work except where appropriately referenced. The following statement should be included in your assessment Statement of Authorship I certify that this assignment is my own work and contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any degree or diploma in any institute, college or university. Moreover, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person, except where due reference is made in the text of the work. I also understand that under no circumstances should any part of this assignment be published, including on the internet, or publicly displayed without receiving written permission from the University.

Diabetes Mellitus Among Filipinos Philippines Health And Social Care Essay

Diabetes Mellitus Among Filipinos Philippines Health And Social Care Essay Most of us just heard about diabetes but how much do we know about it. The thing that we only know that many people does have diabetes mellitus, and most of them are Filipinos. There Mellitus are more than 300,000 Filipinos who suffer from Diabetes Mellitus. In the United States, there are about 16 million diabetics and about 1800 new cases are diagnosed each year. Type I Diabetes, used to be called Juvenile Diabetes, is insulin-dependent (the persons pancreas does not produce insulin), meaning insulin injection is needed to treat the condition. It is medically known as IDDM (Insulin). Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, most commonly among persons younger than 30 years old associated obesity is not common. It accounts for 5 to 10% of all diabetics. Type II Diabetes is NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Melllitus), which can be treated by pills (sulfonyl ureas, antihyperglycemic drugs) rather than insulin, most commonly found Diabetes those who are older than 30, and associated obesity i s frequent. It accounts for majority (90 to 95%) of diabetics. The third type is Gestational Diabetes. Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the pancreas no longer produces enough insulin or cells stop responding to the insulin that is produced, so that glucose in the blood cannot be absorbed into the cells of the body. Symptoms include frequent urination, lethargy, excessive thirst, and hunger. The treatment includes changes in diet, oral medications, and in some cases, daily injections of insulin. The most common form of diabetes is Type II, It is sometimes called age-onset or adult-onset diabetes, and this form of diabetes occurs most often in people who are overweight and who do not exercise. Type II is considered a milder form of diabetes because of its slow onset (sometimes developing over the course of several years) and because it usually can be controlled with diet and oral medication. The consequences of uncontrolled and untreated Type II diabetes, however, are the just as serious as those for Type I. This form is also called noninsulin-dependent diabetes, a term that is somewhat misleading. Many people with Type II diabetes can control the condition with diet and oral medications, however, insulin injections are sometimes necessary if treatment with diet and oral medication is not working. The causes of diabetes mellitus are unclear, however, there seem to be both hereditary (genetic factors passed on in families) and environmental factors involved. Research has shown that some people who develop diabetes have common genetic markers. In Type I diabetes, the immune system, the bodys defense system against infection, is believed to be triggered by a virus or another microorganism that destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. In Type II diabetes, age, obesity, and family history of diabetes play a role. In Type II diabetes, the pancreas may produce enough insulin, however, cells have become resistant to the insulin produced and it may not work as effectively. Symptoms of Type II diabetes can begin so gradually that a person may not know that he or she has it. Early signs are lethargy, extreme thirst, and frequent urination. Other symptoms may include sudden weight loss, slow wound healing, urinary tract infections, gum disease, or blurred vision. It is not unusual for Type II diabetes to be detected while a patient is seeing a doctor about another health concern that is actually being caused by the yet undiagnosed diabetes. Education is the Cornerstone of Diabetic Therapy said by World Health Organization. We will try to see and enumerate in this study the dominance of Diabetes Mellitus Among Filipinos in the Philippines. B. Statement of the Problem The research aims to know the dominance of diabetes Mellitus and the different factors that affect a person specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: Specifically the study sought to answer the following: How prevalent is the diabetes mellitus? Which type of diabetes is most common among Filipinos? Is diabetes hereditary? What are the signs and symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus that occurs to all diabetic Filipinos? What are the things that can be done to treat Diabetes? C. Hypothesis There is very huge number of diabetic people and they are continuing to grow even more larger as expected, due to the different factors related to the illness. D. Significance of the Study The study is important for several reasons. Goverment officials of the Philippine Republic. The government officials will eventually know that one of the disease that kills a person is diabetes, and for them to give importance in giving a prioritize fund about it. Nursing Students. The students will realize the importance of taking good care of their self, especially their eating habits which is the most common reason of having Diabetes. Parents. The study will serve as guide to parents on how to manage the proper diet for their family knowing the study of diabetes Mellitus. Future Researchers. The research paper will help them to more about it in a concrete way. So that, they will be able to conduct a more efficient research on this. E. Scope and Delimitation The study aims to determine the dominance of diabetes among Filipinos here in the Philippines. Furthermore, this research explored the statistics of Filipinos who have Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetic Filipinos in Philippines are the only concerned population and it is limited to the study of Diabetes Mellitus. F. Materials and Methods G. Definition of Terms In order to have a clear view of the problem in this study, some terms considered relevant to the study have been made defined. Diabetes Mellitus. Often referred to simply as diabetes (Ancient Greek: ÃŽÂ ´ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ to pass through), is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Diabetes type 1. Is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar (glucose), starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Insulin. A polypeptide hormone secreted by the islets of Langerhans and functioning in the regulation of the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, especially the conversion of glucose to glycogen, which lowers the blood glucose level. Any of various pharmaceutical preparations containing this hormone that are derived from the pancreas of certain animals or produced through genetic engineering and are used in the medical treatment and management of diabetes mellitus Sulfonylurea. Any of a group of hypoglycemic drugs, such as tolbutamide, that act on the beta cells of the pancreas to increase the secretion of insulin. Anti-hyperglycemic Drug. A drug that helps to move out of the system the presence of an abnormally high concentration of glucose in the blood. Gestational Diabetes. is a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. Microorganism. An organism of microscopic or submicroscopic size, especially a bacterium or protozoan. Pancreas. Secretes hormones that affect the level of sugar in the blood. These cells secrete: Glucagon-raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood Insulin-stimulates cells to use glucose Somatostatin-may regulate the secretion of glucagons and insulin. Hereditary. Transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring: a hereditary disease. E.g. Diabetes Mellitus. Lethargy. abnormal drowsiness : the quality or state of being lazy, sluggish, or indifferent. Chapter 2 Related Literature Many people are diagnose to have diabetes mellitus and there are also many people who didnt know that they have diabetes. The extent of its disease In Filipinos is really big. Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus among Filipinos Different statistic has been laid out by different people at different time. Administration [1] Four point one (4.1%) of Filipinos have diabetes mellitus. At the current estimate of the population, this means 2.5 million Filipinos with diabetes, with perhaps an equal number which remain undiagnosed. Administration [2] The health care Indicator statistics of the Department of Health has found that diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in the Philippines, affecting 1 out of 25 Filipinos. As estimated 3.36 Million Filipinos are affected by the disease today. Leading cause of mortality by sex, number, rate/100,000 population and percentage Philippines, 2003.Diabtes Mellitus, Male-6,823, Females-7,373, number, rate-17.5% and a percentage of 3.6.This number is expected to rise to about 8 million after 20 years. Types of Diabetes most common among Filipinos Gonzales [3] There are two main types of diabetes mellitus: type 1 and type 2. There are several other specific types, but they occur rarely. There is also a type of diabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus that occurs during pregnancy. In this type of diabetes, the abnormality in sugar metabolism usually disappears after delivery although women who develop this condition are at a higher risk (30-60 percent) of developing diabetes later in life. Type 1 diabetes, which accounts for about five to 10 percent of all cases of diabetes, is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease results when the body s defense system (immune system) against infection and other foreign substances turns awry and attacks the bodys own cells.Type 2 diabetes the type that afflicts your partner is the most common form of diabetes. It accounts for about 90-95 percent of all cases of diabetes mellitus. Initially, people diagnosed with this type of diabetes produce enough insulin, but for unknown reasons, the cells do not respond appropriately to it. Subsequently, over a period of years, insulin production by the pancreas decreases. Diabetes a Hereditary Gonzales [ 3] The risk of a person with a parent with type 2 diabetes of developing diabetes is about 15 percent if the parent was diagnosed before age 50 (as in the case of your husband) and seven to eight percent if the parent was diagnosed after age 50. If both parents have type 2 diabetes, the probability is about 40 percent. Signs And Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus Manzella [4] Signs and symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus: Frequent trips to the bathroom, Unquenchable Thirst, Losing Weight Without Trying, Weakness and Fatigue, Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands, Legs or Feet, and Blurred vision, skin that is dry or itchy, frequent infections or cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal are also signs that something is amiss. Things done that leads to a better health even you have Diabetes. Administration [5] There is currently no cure for diabetes Mellitus. Diet, exercise, and careful monitoring of blood glucose levels are the keys to manage diabetes so that patients can live a relatively normal life. Diabetes can be life-threatening if not properly managed, so patients should not attempt to treat this condition without medical supervision. Treatment of diabetes focuses on two goals: keeping blood glucose within normal range and preventing the development of long-term complications. Alternative treatments cannot replace the need for insulin but they may enhance insulins effectiveness and may lower blood glucose levels. In addition, alternative medicines may help to treat complications of the disease and improve quality of life. References: A. Book Boulton, A. J. and Rayman, G. (2006). The Fact in Diabetes. West Sussex, England: John Wiley and Sons Limited. RD 563 B6 2006. Unger, U. M. D. (2001). Diabetes Management in Primary Care. Philadelphia, USA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins a Wolters Kluwer Business. RC 660 U5 2007. Schwarts, S. L. (1989). Management of Diabetes Mellitus. Texas, USA: Essential Medical Information System, Inc. MS616 462 sch1m 1989. Drum, D. and Zierenberg, T. (2006). The Type II Diabetes Sourcebook. New York, USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 616 462 D8447 2006. Frost, G. and Moses, R. (2003). Nutritional Management of Diabetes Mellitus. West Sussex, England: John Wiley and Sons Limited. 616.4620654 F92n 2003. Parriesh, D. and Machado, A. C. (2006). Healing Gourmet eat to beat Diabetes. New York, USA: Medical Meals, Inc. 616.4620654 d197H 2006. B. Article Pultante, Jr. Diabetic Foot Care, Manila Bulletin, (August 17, 2002). p.11-13. Gonzales, Dr. Eduardo G. Diabetes Mellitus, Manila Bulletin, (August 23, 2005). p. C-4 Ramirez, Carlo Gerando. Therapy Option for Type I Diabetes, Manila Bulletin, (February 25, 2002). p. 1 Mercado, Charmaine. How to Help a loved one with a medical condition, Health Today, (December 2003). p. 50-51. Tacio, Elena D. Diabetes: Hidden Epidemic, Philippine Panorama, (August 3, 2003). p.19 Sy, Gary S. What is Diabetes Mellitus?, Manila Bulletin, (August 21, 2002). p.11-12. Mamanglu, Shianee. Juvenile Diabetes cases rising in RP, Manila Bulletin, (March 28, 2000). p.23. Gonzales, Eduardo G. A Primer on Diabetes Mellitus, Manila Bulletin, (July 16, 2007). p. C-5. Fox, Maggie. New drug study raises worries, Manila Bulletin, (May 23, 2007). p.11, B-12. Sy, Gary s. Understanding Diabetes and its Complications, Manila Bulletin, (January 25, 2008). p.11, B-18. Lopez, Estrellita. Diabetes and Diet, Life Today, (June 2001). p.15. Tacio, Henrylite D. Taking Diabetes More Seriously, Manila Bulletin, (October 21, 2003). p.32-33. Lansang, Segundo L. Diabetes, A Brief History, Life Today, (June 2001). Calcimon, Nerissa V. Nature of Diabetes, Life Today, (June 2001). Lopez, Estrellita. Treatment of Diabetes, Life Today, (June 2001). Salazar, Tessa R. 2-M-1 Pill for Diabetes, Philippine Daily Inquirer, (April 22, 2006). p. B-6. Puyalte, Jose.Now that youre Diabetic, Womens Journal, (April 9, 2001). p.11. Moseh, Terry L. WHO: Diabetes, a health threat, Manila Bulletin, (November 27, 2005). p.H-2. Gomez, Ma. Congee S. Beware: Diabetes the New Health Scare, Womens Journal, (August 24, 1996). p.40-41. C. Electronic Media Manriquez, D.J.: Diabetes Melltus.2008. Diabetes Profile. February 22, 2009 Manzella, D. : Top Warning Signs of Diabetes December 15, 2008. Diabetes Mellitus. P., Erlich H.A ET. Al. The association of class 1 and II alleles with type I diabetes among Filipinos June 2002. Diabetes rising among Filipinos. February 22, 2009. http://article.wn.com/view/2008/11/11/Diabetes_rising_among_Filipinos Philippine Inquirer  ¶ Diabetes Mellitus Case Study. May 15, 2008. http://nursinocrib.com/diabetes_mellitus_case_study Treatments for Diabetes Alternative. Medicine February 22, 2009http://www.shirleys_wellness_cafe.com/diabetes.htm. Diabetes Mellitus. Februaty 22, 2009. www.diabetes center.org.ph/?fid=education Februaty 22, 2009

History of Ford Thunderbird :: essays research papers

The Ford Thunderbird, an American classic, is a car manufactured in the United States by Ford Motor Company. It was created only twenty months after Chevrolets Corvette as a comeback car and entered design for the 1955 model year as a two-seater resembling a sports car, which went on sale on October 22, 1954 (Wilson 116). As the Thunderbird was a better performer and cost four hundred and ninety six dollars less, no wonder it sold better. In fact, the sales figure for the first model was nearly four times that of the Corvette (Georgano 122). Through the development of the Ford Thunderbird it has evolved drastically in style and performance over its long history. Although none of this would have happened without the formation of the idea to create what is known as the Ford Thunderbird. There are two stylists credited with the creation of the Thunderbird: Lewis D. Crusoe and George Walker, who later became a chief stylist and a Ford vice-president. They took a trip to Paris, and while they were there they saw a sports car that got their attention. From that moment on, they knew they had to come up with something just like it. They went to work as soon as permission was given from headquarters. Their goal was to have a lightweight sports car with a V-8 engine that accelerated to speeds above 100 mph. They achieved this goal successfully, but they did not meet their projected weight for the car. Crusoe started a clay model of the car and finally gained the acceptance on it in May of 1953 (Wilson 116). Once the model was complete there came about the difficulty in deciding on a name. The designers were completely lost when it came to names but suggestions came pouring in by the thousands. Finally, the designers narrowed it down to just one name â€Å"Whizzer,† but Crusoe was just not satisfied with it. He devised a reward, a two hundred and fifty dollar suit, for anyone who could come up with a better name. It was not long before they received a submission from a designer named Alden Giberson. The name he came up with was â€Å"Thunderbird.† Crusoe approved it and the name was no longer negotiable. His idea for that name surprisingly did not come from the Native American symbol for â€Å"Thunder-bird,† but from a very prominent subdivision in Rancho Mirage, California.

Nebuchadnezzar and the Creation of Dissedence :: Essays Papers

Nebuchadnezzar and the Creation of Dissedence The artist of the piece to be examined, "Nebuchadnezzar", painted in 1795, is the Romantic poet, author, artist and theorist William Blake. I viewed the piece on Monday 27 September 1999 at the Tate Gallery in Westminster. The piece is a colour print finished in ink pen and watercolour on paper. (See Figure 1) The subject of the piece is King Nebauchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian empire from 605 to 562 B.C. The narrative behind the image is that of partly historical and partly mythological backround. The king is a factual person, but the image which Blake depicts is from a story of Nebauchadnezzar's dream and the allegorical interpretations of historical events in the Old Testament's Book of Daniel to illustrate the power of God. The story of King Nebauchadnezzar which the print depicts is that of one of the King's dreams. The powerful Machiavellian king dreamed one night of a great tree growing from the earth. The tree produced abundant amounts of fruit and it grew until its top reached heaven. A celestial being appeared in the King's dream and ordered him to cut the tree down, leaving only its roots bound in iron and bronze in the grass. The same being then decreed that the King's mind be changed from a man's to a beast's. Because the King did not understand his dream, he called on the prophet Daniel to explain it. Daniel told him that Nebuchadnezzar was the strong tree in his dream. He interpreted the dream as being a decree from God that the mighty King who ruled without care for anyone but himself would be condemened to dwell with the beasts so that he would recognize God's superior power.

Wider Reading – Cider with Rosie and Cranford

Cider with Rosie is an autobiography, it is not fiction like a novel but an account of a persons own life. Unlike a novel, it does not have the thread of a story with interacting characters connecting all it's parts. It has a different pattern with which we are all familiar. It is about childhood and growing up. We all have our own special early childhood memories and Laurie Lee seems to highlight the things we all have in common. The book starts with early childhood, early memories of people, an animal and places which then seemed strange and sometimes frightening. It goes on to describe going to school and branches out to tell us about members of his family, neighbours, tales about the neighbourhood and how the changing seasons of the year changed peoples habits and activities. Laurie Lee writes about the illnesses which brought him close to death. He writes about the entertainment to be had in those days, his first girlfriends and the book ends in his teens with the first of his family about to leave home to get married. The book is set in the village of Slad which still exists, not far from Stroud in Gloucestershire, however Laurie Lee is writing about the village as it was fifty or sixty years ago. We are reading about a past that has changed almost out of recognition. Laurie Lee uses language in an attempt to make his memories come alive, vividly and colourfully. He may use a single word: â€Å"Peas come in long shells of green pearls† Or a comparison: â€Å"The sun hit me smartly on the face like a bully† Or a very descriptive and poetic sentence: â€Å"All day she trotted to and fro, flushed and garrulous, pouring flowers into every pot and jug she could find on the kitchen floor. † All of these words, phrases, comparisons and rhythm of sentences are chosen to add spring and sparkle into what is being described. Cider with Rosie is a youthful biography set in the colourful world of over half a century ago, it is about those occasions that occur in most of our lives. This is what makes the book such an enjoyable read. Cranford is the work of Elizabeth Gaskell on the surface it appears as a quaint picture of provincial life, we are told in the first sentence it is a society of â€Å"Amazons†. However as you get deeper into the book a somewhat ironic distance from society is maintained. Throughout the book there seems to be a tender, delicate mocking of lifestyles and values which invites us to marvel and sympathize with the eccentricity of the characters. Unlike Cider with Rosie, Cranford is a novel, studying the aspects of change in the world. However like Laurie Lee, Elizabeth Gaskell writes about the people she had known in her childhood. It must also be taken into consideration that Cranford is set one hundred and fifty years ago, about one hundred years before Cider with Rosie. Cider with Rosie and Cranford are both similar and different in many ways. Both books seem to be made up of short stories rather than a novel. In fact some chapters first appear as single articles in a magazine. In Cranford this is rather like the germs of stories which are found in the letters Miss Matty has kept tied into bundles which she reads with Mary. Cranford is a series of linked sketches of life among the ladies in a quiet country village in the 1830's, it is based on Knutsford in Cheshire where Elizabeth Gaskell spent her childhood. The novel revolves around Miss Deborah Jenkyns and her gentle sister Miss Matty, daughters of the former rector. Elements of drama are provided by the death of Captain Brown whilst trying to save the life of a child, the surprising marriage of the widowed Lady Glenmire to the vulgar Mr. Hoggins, the failure of a bank which ruins Miss Matty and her rescue by the fortunate return from India of her long lost brother Peter. In my opinion the reason why Cranford is such an enjoyable read is its amusing but loving portrayal of the old fashioned customs and ‘elegant economy' of a group of middle aged figures in society. Women in Cranford are very set upon keeping up their appearances and this can make them seem somewhat fierce, never openly admitting to straightened circumstances. They would rather practice ‘elegant economy' and observe the smallest rules of etiquette. At the tea table they would wear appropriate headgear while keeping to the well-understood patterns of social visiting. To gain self-respect you had to keep your feelings hidden this was as important as status. Due to this fact Mary learns more about the great sadness in her friend Miss Matty's life through the details she fails to tell her than through the details she reveals. In the book Cider with Rosie the narrator, Laurie Lee, actually lives in the village and sees and takes part in all village activities. Whereas in Cranford the narrator, Mary Smith, is an outsider and only hears of the goings on in the village from her friend Miss Matty. The idea of social order and solidarity is most strongly seen in Cranford when Miss Matty looses all her money. The other ladies of Cranford contribute all they can to set her up as a tea-seller and sweetshop keeper even though these kind and commercial practices would not enable her to survive elsewhere. As Mary comments: ‘My father says; â€Å"such simplicity might be very well in Cranford, but would never do in the world†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ Cranfords marketing may not be responding adequately to change but social forms show otherwise. Although Cranford ladies stress the importance of class distinctions, it is in fact Miss Matty's loyal servant Betty and her new, labourer husband who offer her a home. This arrangement however does not need to be put to the test because Peter returns from India with enough money to bale out his sister. Peters return brings up another illusion the ladies in Cranford hold; the fact that they can manage without men. Elizabeth Gaskell can be seen as being somewhat tongue in cheek about the self-protective, socializing characteristics of the unmarried women. But on the other hand, Elizabeth Gaskell seems to be experimenting with what might be thought of as women's narrative. Mary comments that: â€Å"I had often occasion to notice the use that was made of fragments and small opportunities in Cranford; the rose-leaves that were gathered ere they fell, to make the pot-pourri for someone who had no garden; the little bundles of lavender-flowers sent to strew the drawers of some town-dweller, or to burn in the chamber of some invalid. Similarly, Cranford is made up of ‘fragments and small opportunities', The letters, which Miss Matty reads with Mary, carried with them: â€Å"A vivid and intense sense of the present time, which seemed so strong and full, as if it could never pass away. † These letters symbolized, as they are dropped one by one into the fire, a passing of a changing world. The world around Cranford is changing but the women seem to be set in their ways. They prefer to ignore the vast economic and social changes taking place taking place in England at that time. However they cannot remain unaffected. Cranford is made up of a collection of ageing women who although want to stay as they have always done are now becoming unable to do so. Throughout the book new influences keep on creeping their way in. These begin with the arrival of Captain Brown and continue with the closeness of the railway. Cranford is a town in a world of its own but it snobbishness and old-fashioned ways must make way for the more vital energetic forces of the new age. Never the less Cranford did have some good points. The motivation of Miss Matty and her friends was based on true kindness and generosity the very qualities the industrial new age lack. In the village of Slad in Cider with Rosie, everyone was poor. It was an extremely rural dwelling. There was a church, a chapel, post office, two pubs – the Star and the Woolpack – and the Hut for penny dancers. There would have been one woman in the village who acted as midwife and another who would lay out the dead. Villagers bottled fruit, kept pigs and hens, trapped pigeons, collected kindling, fermented flowery wines and bartered home grown vegetables, eggs, rabbits and game. There was a heroic village cricket team. Life was intensely communal, with choir outings, concerts and harvest festivals. Otherwise they just amused themselves. However the village was not all ‘fields of poppies and blue skies'. There were tramps and children dying of perfectly ordinary diseases like whooping cough. Then there was the murder of Vincent, the boastful villager who had returned from New Zealand, the escape of Jones's goat: â€Å"Huge and hairy as a Shetland horse. † There was also the tale of the Browns' sad ending in the workhouse and the suicide of the beautiful Miss Flynn. Walking was probably the main form of transport in Cider with Rosie along with cycling. The whole village went on many outings which mainly consisted of walking and picnics: â€Å"Then sometimes there'd be a whole days outing, perhaps to Sheepscombe to visit relations – a four-mile walk, which to our short legs seemed further, so that we needed all day to do it. † Laurie Lee also took trips with his local choir. These outings were a great reward and had to be worked hard for. They may have ventured to places like Weston-Super-Mare or Bristol to see the docks. â€Å"The first Choir Outing we ever had was a jaunt in a farm wagon to Gloucester. † A farm wagon was probably the most common form of transport for this kind of outing up until: â€Å"The coming of the horse-brake and charabanc† Man and horse power were the only power ever known to Laurie Lee in the village of Slad, with the horse being the most powerful. You could only travel at speeds of up to eight miles an hour, which really limited where you could go, as it says in the chapter ‘Last Days': â€Å"That eight miles an hour was life and death, the size of our world, our prison. † As Laurie Lee grew older he noticed changes occurring in the village transport which he had always known and been familiar with. There was the introduction of ‘The brass-lamped motor-car', ‘the clamorous charabanc', and ‘scarlet motor-bikes. ‘ Everything began to change as new technology began to take over. Cranford is almost the complete opposite to Cider with Rosie. In Cider with Rosie walking was common and thought of as the norm but in Cranford walking was almost unheard of especially among the upper class members of society. Miss Jamieson comments: â€Å"Don't you find it very unpleasant walking? † Miss Jamieson says this as if she looks down upon those who wish to walk. Or maybe it is just that she likes to draw attention to herself and the fact that she has ‘her own carriage in the coach house' and her very own sedan chair which she always went out in even if it was to cover the shortest of distances. There was also the railway which although everyone hated as it showed the change taking place in the outside world, was still a means of transport. The main means of education in Cider with Rosie is the small village school to which all the children attend. The school was made up of only two classes which you stayed in up until the age of fourteen. School was where you met the other village children and made friends. You didn't learn much at school, you left with: â€Å"Nothing in his head more burdensome then a few mnemonics, a jumbled list of wars and a dreary image of the worlds geography. It seemed enough to get by with. † School was more of a place to learn manners and prepare yourself for when you left and had to work in a field or factory. Unlike Slad there was no village school in Cranford, children would have been sent away to a boarding school or a private tutor would be hired. Peter was sent away to Shrewsbery boarding school and was to go to Cambridge but he did not do very well. His father could not afford to hire him a private tutor and so taught him to read and write himself. In Cider with Rosie Laurie Lee talks a lot about his first girlfriends. The relationships are mainly those of a young boy whereas in Cranford there is talk of marriage and settling down. In Cider with Rosie there was young Jo, a thin girl with brushed back hair a ‘cool face' and ‘speechless grace'. She was the first girl Laurie was ever interested in. Laurie would wait for her after school when they would go and play a game together. The game was: â€Å"Formal and grave in character, its ritual was rigidly patterned. It was almost like a game of doctors, Jo would be the patient lying on the grass and Laurie would be the doctor moving his hands across her, exploring her body. They played this game every night until they were caught and even then they were just laughed at, Laurie comments: â€Å"There were no magistrates to define us obscene. † Then there was Rosie Burdock, a devious girl who had ‘sharp salts of wickedness about her' and looked at you with the ‘sly glittering eyes of her mother. ‘ The events between Laurie and Rosie are what give the book its title. Rosie was provocative. Laurie had gone to the farm to help with the haymaking when he stumbled upon Rosie behind a haycock. She had a bottle of cider and offered it to Laurie and so he had: â€Å"His first long secret drink of golden fire. † It was at this time under the hay wagon that Laurie had his first kiss: â€Å"We kissed, once only, so dry and shy, it was like two leaves colliding in air. † These images of romance in Cider with Rosie are very innocent, those of a young boy learning more and more about the world each day as he becomes adolescent. Cranford is a society of women who think they can live without men. It was unheard of for women in this period to tell a man that they were interested in them. It was not like today where it is perfectly acceptable for a woman to ask man out in those times the women had to wait to be asked by the man. In the chapter ‘A love affair of long ago' we hear of Miss Pole's cousin Mr. Holbrook who offered to Miss Matty long ago. From then on the whole chapter revolves around the ladies gossiping about why Miss Matty did not accept his offer. Also within this chapter we can see another example of class-consciousness: They did not like Miss Matty to marry below her rank. † This gives the impression that Mr. Holbrook was not looked upon as good enough for Miss Matty. When anyone in Cranford got married it made all the other ladies look to themselves and wonder if their turn would ever come. For this reason they would dress up smartly perhaps to impress the men or perhaps simply to make themselves feel better. Contact between people in Cider with Rosie is mainly by word of mouth. As the village is so small everyone hears about each other's business. Everyone hears about the death of Miss Flynn and the murder of Vincent the New Zealander. The good thing about this is the fact that everyone knows each other and however bad the crime committed they are not about to go and tell the police. To this day it is still unknown as to who committed the murder. Of course letters were written but as education was poor many people in Slad could not read or write, which made letter writing difficult. In Cranford contact was also spread by word of mouth and gossiping between the ladies but the main point of contact was through letters. Mary Smith keeps in contact with Miss Matty through letters, it is the sorting through of old letters which prompt Miss Matty to unearth the story of her younger brother, Peter. In the beginning of the book the only contact that Mary has with the village is from her occasional visits to Miss Matty. However, as the book progresses she becomes increasingly active in shaping the town she records. It is she who initiates the scheme to set Miss Matty up in her teashop and she who sends off the letter which recalls Peter. The older generations in the village of Slad in Cider with Rosie seem to make more of an effort to dress up formally then those who are younger. Laurie Lee's two Grannies, Granny Wallon and Granny Trill included. They wore: â€Å"High laced boots and long muslin dresses, beaded chokers and candlewick shawls, crowned by tall poke bonnets tied with trailing ribbons and smothered with inky sequins. † Laurie was enthralled by their attire. He would imagine many, many grannies all dressed up parading in front of him, as he puts it: â€Å"Rank upon rank of hobbling boots, nodding bonnets, flying shawls and furious chewing faces. There is talk in the chapter ‘Outings and Festivals' of Peace in 1919. Everyone was to go in fancy dress. Laurie watched everyone change. He watched as his sister Marge transformed herself into Queen Elizabeth with his other sister Phyllis as her lady in waiting. Marge wore: â€Å"A gown of ermine, a brocaded bodice, and a black cap studded with pearls. † Laurie sees his sister in a new light. She is beautiful and graceful, Laurie is awestruck. Phyllis is also looking beautiful, she is wearing: â€Å"A long chequered dress of black and white velvet, and a hat full of feathers and moths. † Ladies in Cranford weren't too fussy about what they wore. They didn't follow fashion but what they did wear made them look respectful and admirable, as it was the expected rules of dress. They observe: â€Å"What does it signify how we dress at Cranford, where everybody knows us? † When they visited other towns or villages their explanation for dress was: â€Å"What does it signify how we dress here, where nobody knows us? † So the women in Cranford stuck to clothing that was in general ‘good and plain'. There are many interesting characters in Cider with Rosie but perhaps the most amusing are the grannies. Their constant bickering and unusual habits make you feel warmth towards them. They are two very different characters. Granny Wallon was the more mysterious of the two, scurrying around never saying much about her past. She was very interested in the outside world collecting plants and taking walks in the garden: â€Å"One saw her hobbling home in the evening, bearing her cargoes of crusted flowers, till she had buckets of cowslips, dandelions, elder-blossom crammed into every corner of the house. † Then there was simple Granny Trill who seemed to the children very strange. Her pattern of life was very different to others, Laurie says: â€Å"She breakfasted, for instance at four in the morning, had dinner at ten, took tea at two-thirty, and was back in her bed at five. † Granny Trill seemed almost fierce. She was very religious and believed very much in fate, she also believed she knew what was going to happen in the future. These two Grannies were ancient enemies but their lives revolved entirely around one another: â€Å"Like cold twin stars, linked but divided, they survived by a mutual balance. † The Grannies died within two weeks of one another. Granny Trill was the first to go and once she was gone there was no further reason for Granny Wallon to live. You can tell from the constant references throughout the book that Laurie Lee has a lot of respect for his mother. She has been through a lot. She was left to bring up many children on her own after her husband left to go to war. She lives in hope of his return and when the war ends she is really exited but he never returns and ‘mother' is left to nurse a broken heart forever. Cranford also has its far share of interesting characters. There is ‘The Honourable Mrs. Jamieson', all but Mary look upon her as the local oracle although she shows herself to be quite unworthy of her status. She doesn't seem interested in others and at house-parties when everyone else is chatting and playing cards it can be counted upon that Mrs. Jamieson would be found fast asleep or eating. There is also Signor Brunoni who is a majestic figure revealed when the curtain rises on a much vaunted performance of magic in the assembly hall. He is an exotic touring conjurer who is not all he appears to be. Of course there is also the dear and innocent Miss Matty who everyone knows and loves. Unfortunately she has led a sad life of lost opportunities. She admits: â€Å"I dream sometimes that I have a little child†¦ she comes to me when she is very sorry or very glad, and I have wakened with the clasp of her dear little arms round my neck. † Finally there is Mary Smith the narrator of the novel. She has much affection for the ladies in Cranford and provides a link between the old world and the new industrial one. She is practical and down to earth, able to sort out many of her neighbours' problems and on many occasions she has the last word. I would now like to end by saying which of the two communities I would like to live in and why. Cranford is very picturesque with its ‘elegant economy' and rules of social etiquette. The people who live there are very interesting and amusing and have true qualities of kindness and generosity. If somebody gets into trouble they stick together and help each other. But Cranford is in a little world of its own. The world around them is changing but they are too determined to stick with their old fashioned traditions that they will not move with the times. For this reason I can say I would prefer to live in Slad with Laurie Lee. I like the fact that everyone knows each other and are willing to stick up for one another. Everyone one treats each other equally and they aren't as class conscious and so quick to pass judgement as those in Cranford. Slad is a more rural community where everyone chips in. There seems to be more freedom and although the education isn't brilliant at least you get to stay with your family. If you have a problem you don't have to go through it on your own, everyone will be there to support you and won't judge you for it. As far as I am concerned, Slad, the rural village of the 1940's would offer me a more fulfilling existence.